We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Anatolii Panchenko a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Anatolii, thanks for joining us today. The first dollar you earn is always exciting – it’s like the start of a new chapter and so we’d love to hear about the first time you sold or generated revenue from your creative work?
I was in LA, trying to land my first acting job. I called agents in town, asking if anyone needed an assistant. I offered to work for free, saying that I wanted to learn more about the business. One agency picked me up and allowed me to be in the room with them. I worked for three months without pay, showing up every day, until one day, while wiping a table from dust, a casting call from Gigi Akoka came in. After one of the agents read the description, he looked at me and said, ‘You could fit in. Do you want to give it a go?’ I gave it a go. A few weeks later, Gigi got back to the agency and asked for callbacks for other clients. I wasn’t among them. I thought, it’s ok, just my first audition, I’ll have more in the future. But then a new mail came in, where she said that Éric Rochant wants to see me do another scene too. And then the snowball started rolling. Over the next three months, I submitted around 16 self-tapes for the part and finally booked the role of Alexis Bakatine in The Bureau.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I’ve always been obsessed with film, and pretty much the story of landing a part in “The Bureau” was my very first audition and job in the industry. I am really lucky to have had this one and proud that I was a part of it. Working on Éric Rochant’s show was the best thing that could’ve happened to me at the beginning of my journey. I had to go back to my home country, work in Ukraine, then France, Cambodia, and Morocco, playing Alexis Bakatine. It was like a dream come true: stellar cast members, great direction, a terrific story, the best crew and insane locations. Later, this first job opened up doors to other opportunities. I then worked on commercials, and it led me to my second TV show – Infiniti. Without The Bureau, other things wouldn’t have happened to me.
My job as an actor is to serve the story. This is what I try to do in the best possible way I can. I am providing the service, and hopefully, I can be of service to both meaningful and entertaining stories. For some people, it’s about a destination; for others, it’s about the ride. For me personally, it’s definitely about the people I have this ride with. One of the greatest perks of this industry – meeting unbelievable artists, connecting with them, and doing something together. This feeling is like a drug, impossible to quit, and makes you want more.
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
The resources really vary from job to job. Every time it’s a completely new process of prepping for the part, researching to find tools you can use for the character, etc. And it’s always learning. However, I really wish I knew about one earlier.
YouTube is a magical research tool, and I stumbled upon a channel called ‘Soft White Underbelly.’ It’s a project of Mark Laita, where he takes interviews of people. The stories folks share there are nothing like you’d hear regularly. They are honest as if they’re naked. And they all dig in really deep. I really use it a lot, and think it’s a great place for actors to research people, different characters, and learn from them.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
Money and fame.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/anatolii.p_/
Image Credits
Anna Vialova Denys Lisovets Igor Tsarenko Steven Gargadennec